Cursed Read online

  cURSED

  A Novel by Emma Merrell

  Dedicated to all the dreamers.

  Prologue

  Anne

  A band of fire tore its way from her back all the way around to her belly. Anne kept her breath calm and steady as the contraction passed. Her midwife murmured words of encouragement. It seemed as if things were progressing normally, but deep inside Anne was scared. Her firstborn son was only thirteen moons old. Hardly enough time had passed for it to be safe for her to bear another. Yet, the midwives said she was young and strong, carrying the child of the king, and they had no fear for her.

  Of course, her unease went deeper than the regular worries of a laboring woman. The kingdom had been cursed while she was growing this baby and her husband had been murdered by his ex-wife, her sister. She was the Queen Mother now and the fate of the kingdom rested not with her, but with the child she was birthing. The unborn babies of the land would be the only ones not affected by Leona’s curse. The only ones, in turn, able to bear children themselves.

  It was all too soon that she felt her belly tighten again, telling of an impending contraction. She set her teeth and told herself that the baby would come this time. The fire began, and then it changed into something different. A sick, hollow feeling rung through her and she felt like she would be sick for a moment. She almost blacked out, but the midwife saw her fluttering eyelids and gave her a good hard slap in the face.

  Anne came around, and the odd sensation vanished to be replaced with pain. She screamed and pushed four separate times, and then she felt a tearing followed by the sweet release as her babe slipped into the world. She collapsed back, tears streaming down her face as she heard it cry for the very first time. She opened her eyes and saw a scrunched up little face, red like a rose.

  The midwife put the slimy baby into her arms and Anne saw that she had birthed a baby boy. The tears increased. That would make things much easier.

  Twenty Years Later

  The locator orb was glowing a nice, solid shade of green. That was good. Anne closed her eyes and began breathing rhythmically in through her nose and exhaling softly through her lips. She wiped all thoughts from her mind and placed her hand upon the emerald sphere. An image of the girl sprang into a clear focus inside of her mind and she smiled to herself. Jonathan would find this one hard to resist.

  Anne took one last deep breath and started to sing softly. As she sang, she began weaving her power into the song and wrapping it about the girl like a rope. Sweat broke out on Anne’s brow as the casting took its toll upon her. She would only become more tired as it went on.

  When the ropes covered the girl, Anne let tendrils of power creep into her. It sought to bind itself to the girl’s own blood. She sang more quickly as she went, building her hold on the girl and bringing the casting to its crescendo. When things reached their peak, she marked the girl.

  The mark would help her guards to find her and bring her back to the palace. They had enough magic to see and be drawn to Anne’s imprint upon her. They could track her across the ocean if necessary. Anne forced a huge amount of power down the line and gave one last enormous push, just as the door to her chamber burst open and shattered her careful concentration to pieces. The magic exploded wildly into the universe as the cast broke and she lost all control of where it was being directed. Her connection to the girl snapped like a thread and lashed back into her with a sting.

  It took Anne a split second to come back to herself and then she turned with a great sense of fury to see who would dare to disturb her in her chamber.

  Her dark green eyes met with a pair of luminous, light green ones that reflected her rage. “Mother. What are you doing? How could you?”

  “The Gods take you, Jonathan. Do you understand what you just did? Interrupted me in the middle of casting. There’s power flowing unchecked into the universe to wreak havoc. It is I who should be demanding what it is that you are doing.”

  “I hope that I’ve kept you from bringing me another innocent girl. You know how I feel about it. You know how I hate it.”

  Anne heard the anger and hurt in her youngest son’s voice clearly. She noted the set of his square jaw and understood how deep his discontent was. It was important to placate him now, no matter how furious she still was. She had to make him fall in line again, the kingdom depended on it and she knew that with his stubborn nature it would do no good to rage at him. Jonathan would only do what he believed was right and once he dug in there was no changing his mind. Fighting with him would only force him to dig deeper. She would have to be crafty, as always, if she wanted him to serve her greater plan.

  “I know how you hate it. I understand that after Laura things have changed for you. But the future of the kingdom depends on you fathering a child and you refuse every girl I bring you. I will never stop trying to find the one who can make you bend.”

  “It will never happen.”

  “If you would just give in to the bounty, I have provided for you then I might not have to keep bringing you girls. You could stop it if you would but try.”

  Jonathan did not reply, but there was no need. They both knew this argument by heart. It was one that they had many times over, every time that Anne had tried to bring a girl into his world after Laura. For what seemed like the millionth time Anne wished that he were more like his brother Norrick. Norrick was practical. He would do what needed to be done and damn the consequences.

  “Mother, you know how I feel. You have to understand that I might need more time before I try again.”

  “There is no time. The people grow restive. My throne is in greater danger with every year that passes. They are reaching their breaking point. The curse must be broken and you, my son, are the only person in the whole of the kingdom who is capable of doing it.”

  “I won’t be pressured into this. The people have waited twenty years for a child to be born and they can hold for a few more.”

  “They should not have to. It is your fear, which you parade as a moral compass, that prevents our kingdom from prospering.”

  As soon as the words passed her lips Anne winced. She had done exactly what she should not have. When she spoke next it was with honeyed words to soothe his ego. “No. I am sorry to have spoken so rashly. None of this is your fault. It was my rotten sister who cursed us. Please forgive me.”

  “Of course, and I do understand how precarious your position is, but please do not steal any more innocent girls from their homes. I am trying to overcome what happened. It’s just a slow process.”

  Anne sighed. Two years prior he had gotten one of the girls pregnant, Laura, and he had been absolutely in love with her. Anne had been over the moon with joy. She had paraded Laura in front of the people, and they had hailed her pregnancy as an omen that the babes would soon return. Anne had never been more assured in her role as a ruler. Finally, she had felt safe.

  Laura had gone into labor and everything had gone wrong. The baby was turned sideways in the birth canal and none of the midwives or healers could get it facing the right direction. Anne’s chance to see the curse being broken had been slipping away and she had taken drastic measures. She had the healer give the girl a sleeping potion. It worked quickly and the moment she was unconscious Anne demanded that the midwives cut her open to retrieve the babe. It had not mattered. The baby had died in the birth canal. It had never been born and the curse had not been broken.

  Jonathan didn’t know the truth of what had happened in the birthing chamber that terrible day and he never would, but he had not yet recovered from the loss. He feared that if he got another girl pregnant that she would die as well. He thought that the curse would keep any of his babes from being born and Anne could not set him straight without admitting what she had done. It was a mess.


  “Jonathan, I know that you still grieve but you must try again. There is no guarantee that your next child will not make it into this world. Women die birthing babies frequently. Laura simply may not have been strong enough. One of the other girls will be. Pick one, maybe one you don’t care about, and try again. Or try with one that you do. I understand that you and Marianne have been growing closer.”

  His expression became closed off and she knew that she had lost him. “Your spies in the court serve you well, Mother, but I will speak no more of this today. My horse is saddled and awaiting me. I trust that you will respect my wishes?”

  “Of course, my son,” Anne lied silkily. “Take a bit more time if you need it, but things must start progressing.”

  “Good day, Mother.”

  Anne inclined her head and he turned sharply on his heel. His long, black braid swung behind him as he left the room. She let out a large sigh. She wished that he were easier to control. Easier to love. Jonathan was distant, closed-off, and stubborn. Quite unlike his brother Norrick who was filled with ambition and a zest for life. If only she could have picked the order in which they were born. Jonathan could be the sensible elder brother and Norrick would be the one on which fate rested. And he would do whatever it took to assure that they stayed in power.

  She gave a sharp shake of her head that sent her long black hair flying. Enough worrying for the day. Tomorrow she would start again, and she would make Jonathan see what he needed to do, but now she longed for distraction. She rung for one of her lovers and threw herself across a divan to wait. The anticipation of the coming events stole most of her concentration, but she could not let go of the nagging worry over the power that had been released and where it had gone.

  Chapter One

  Jude

  Five hundred gold coins. That was how much Jude and his twin sister had been worth on the slave market. To Jude, it both seemed like a lot of coins and not nearly enough. It was more than he would ever see, but it certainly wasn’t worth the lives of two people. Could that amount of gold even be put into measure? Jude didn’t think so.

  The two guards who had escorted them from their village seemed to have a different opinion. They had barely spoken to their charges, treating them more like sacks of grain to be drug across the ocean. As soon as their days of travel to the harbor had passed, Jude and Luce were stuck below decks with the horses and had hardly seen either man since. That had been a fortnight ago.

  “Jude?”

  He turned to face his sister, lying next to him on the fetid straw. It was dark below decks and hard to see, but he could just make out the glimmer of a tear tracing her face. “What is it, Luce? Are you feeling ill again?”

  She had suffered from terrible seasickness on and off for the entirety of their journey, hardly able to hold down the small amounts of food that they were given by the sailors. Jude was worried about her. He put a hand to her forehead and found that it still felt as if she were at a normal temperature.

  “I’m always feeling ill on this damned boat, but no, that’s not it. I was just wondering what it's going to be like over there. Do you think it will be very different?”

  “I wish I knew. The only thing that we’re sure of is that their country is rich in gold and jewels. A ship comes once a year to trade with us, but any attempt to make a connection has been rebuffed. In fact, any ship that has tried to follow them or find their country has never returned. We’ve stopped trying to understand them, and everything else that I’ve heard is probably an old-wives tale.”

  “What tales have you heard?”

  “The things that I heard were all about dark magic.”

  “I wish I had magic right now. We wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  Jude felt his mouth curve ruefully, thinking of her temper. “No, I suppose we wouldn’t. Though, I would be terrified to see what you would do with a little bit of that.”

  “Well then, I might just have to figure it out and save us.”

  It would be nice, but Jude had learned that there were no easy saves in this life. At least not since they had been orphaned at the age of eleven. Nine years had passed since that awful day, and not one of them had been anything but hard.

  “I just hope we get there soon. I’m tired of not knowing.”

  “I hope we get there soon too, Luce. But my main worry is getting you onto solid land and getting some food in you.”

  Luce sighed. “I will fall on my knees and kiss every rock when we reach land. I don’t know how much longer I can go on feeling this way.”

  “Do you want some water?”

  “No. I think I’ll just sleep for a while.”

  Jude frowned to himself. She had been sleeping more and more. Growing weaker and weaker with every day that went by. If they would let them come above decks the fresh air could do her some good. And he could look for land, just the sight of it would be enough to sustain them both. He was tired too. She may have been younger by only a few minutes, but Jude felt responsible for her since the day their parents had died. Worrying over her was not letting him sleep the way he normally would, but it would be good if he tried. Jude shut his eyes and concentrated on letting the rocking of the boat put him out.

  Light streamed in from a hole in the ceiling above. What? Jude was confused for a moment. His room didn’t have a skylight. It took his groggy brain a few seconds to remember the situation they were in, but remember he did.

  From the hole above he could hear a lot of movement and shouting. The ship was bustling today, and Jude hoped it meant that they were nearing port. Luce needed to get off this thing. He rolled over to check on her, fingers automatically going to her forehead. They had been lucky so far and she remained cool, but luck was not with them today. Her forehead was burning under his hand.

  “Luce? Luce, wake up.” He could hear the panic in his own voice and hated himself for it. She needed him to take care of her.

  He shook her lightly at first, and then harder as he got no response. It took too long for her to answer him in a scratchy whisper. “Yes?”

  “I think we're almost there, Luce. Right now, I need you to drink some water.”

  She nodded weakly and he reached for the waterskin. Jude helped her sit up a bit and gave her small sips. He wanted to pour some over her forehead, but who knew when the sailors would be down again with fresh water. It was too irregular to count on. That meant he would have to start drinking less too.

  “No more. I don’t feel good.”

  Jude pulled the waterskin away. “Luce, you’ve got to try and hydrate. You’ve been losing so many fluids being sick to your stomach, and now with a fever, you’ve got to drink more.”

  “Jude, I’ll be sick. Just let me close my eyes for a bit and rest.”

  “All you’ve been doing is resting. I know you feel bad, but I’m worried about you.”

  Luce sighed, and then her eyelids fluttered shut. This wasn’t good. Jude laid her back down and rose to his feet, angling towards the bright patch of sunlight. A quick glance up to the sky seared his eyes, he had been in the dark for too long.

  “Hello?” He called. “I need some help down here. My sister is sick.”

  Footsteps neared and Jude took the chance of burning his eyes again to look up and see who it was that had responded. I took him a second but then he recognized one of the men who had bought them. “Please, are we almost there? She’s very sick.”

  The man gave a gruff snort that was half amused and half disgusted. “Slave, can you not tell we have reached port?”

  Jude ignored the tone and allowed himself to focus on something other than Luce for a second. The movement of the ship did feel different. The constant rolling had diminished into an almost imperceptible sway. They must have dropped anchor while he slept and the fact that he hadn’t woken told him how tired he had really been. He wondered how long the pair of them had slept.

  “If she is sick, we will not wait to unload the ship, but take you now. Queen Anne would no
t want her damaged.”

  Relief swept through him and Jude found himself thanking the man repeatedly. Though for what he wasn’t sure. Luce wouldn’t need the help if they hadn’t forced them into this long, uncomfortable journey in the first place.

  He went to Luce and pulled her up into a sitting position once again. “Luce? Wake up. We’re getting off this boat.”

  At that, she managed to open her eyes. “We’re here?”’

  “We’re here. I just need you to help me get you off this thing and onto a horse.”

  Luce nodded. “Water?”

  She managed a few sips before signaling to Jude that she was ready to stand up. He was weak too, and his knees almost buckled under her weight as she pulled herself up using his shoulder. Still, they managed it together, just as they always had.

  It was only a couple of minutes before the men returned to help them above deck. And once there Jude was momentarily overwhelmed by all the bright sunshine and all the bustling activity. He closed his eyes and just focused on breathing in the fresh air that was blowing all around them. It was so sweet after nothing but the smell of animals and filth for two weeks. Every breath made him feel stronger and he felt life returning to his body.

  The moment of peace was broken as he was rudely brushed in the shoulder. “Get a move on, slave, if you want to save the girl.”

  His eyes snapped open and he turned his head to the left to look at Luce. The man was right, she didn’t look good. She was pale, but for the two patches of red on either cheek from the fever. Her face was far thinner than he had ever seen it, even during their leanest times. The skin was peeling off her dry lips. Jude felt the urgency to reach their destination increase.

  As they moved down the gangway to the harbor Jude took his first real look at their new land. His first thought was that it was green and tall. His home had been farmland, flat and orderly. This place was untamed. Dark green pines blanketed tall, mountain peaks. Granite cliffs soared above in the distance. The sea was dark and roiling. It was all so beautiful, but also intimidating. He had never seen anything like it.